Chapter 185: An Unconventional Training Method

"Sorry for having to do this, but I really need Lilian to be ready for any and all threats," Kael said with a smile as he placed Craig’s unconscious, bleeding body in front of them.

Craig, the second-year Beast Kin, looked absolutely miserable.

Stella immediately face-palmed, while Lilian took a step back in horror at the sight of him.

Hulk stood behind Kael, blood dripping from his mallet. The moment he spotted Stella, he immediately shifted his gaze away from her, although he was still standing directly in front of her.

"Why do people keep interrupting my training with her?" Stella complained, lowering her hand from her face.

She then looked past Kael and noticed the figure standing behind him.

"Oh, Hulk! I see you’ve met my disciple," Stella said with a smile.

Hulk froze.

He had initially been wondering how Kael was connected to the teacher who had beaten him up out of nowhere and blackmailed him into participating in the tournament.

Now, he had discovered that the very disciple she had mentioned was Kael.

"Is this a setup?" Hulk asked, immediately taking several steps backward. His wary eyes shifted between the two of them.

Don’t tell me these tall people are conspiring against me!

"Come on, Hulk. She was my teacher when we were in Class D, and she’s also the teacher of that lovely girl over there. How is this a conspiracy?" Kael muttered, trying to soothe Hulk’s anger.

He then turned toward Lilian.

"I’m sure you can circulate mana at this stage, so I want you to heal him."

Lilian stared at him in disbelief.

"I can circulate mana, but I don’t have a core yet. And although I can emit mana, it doesn’t have a nature, so I doubt I can heal him. It would be better if you took him to the infirmary. He looks terrible," she replied.

"I trust you ca—"

Craig, who was lying on the ground, suddenly coughed as though he were about to regain consciousness.

Kael stopped speaking and turned toward him.

Looks like he wants to wake up again.

Without a second thought, Kael delivered a right hook to Craig’s face, making his head jerk violently and knocking him unconscious once more.

"Maybe I should hit him a few more times to make sure he doesn’t wake up again," Kael muttered, preparing to continue his assault.

"Wait! I think he’s had enough," Hulk interjected, already feeling sorry for Craig, who looked absolutely miserable.

Kael glanced at Craig’s disfigured face before shaking his head.

"You must be really pitiful if even Hulk feels sorry for you."

He then turned back to Lilian.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I’m sure you’ve overheard us talking about how gifted you are and how special your magic is. It’s different from the conventional healing magic people use. That kind is associated with nature mana, but yours is different. It’s what we call divine magic."

Kael gestured toward Craig.

"So go ahead and heal him. Nothing complicated. Just release your mana above him. No pressure. He won’t die, I think."

Before Lilian could respond, the door to the training room burst open.

"KAEL DRAVEN!"

Cairo stormed into the room.

"Oh, you guys still managed to track me down?" Kael muttered.

"Not quite," Lynx replied, glancing at Craig’s battered body on the floor.

Kael followed his gaze.

"I knew I should have hit him more," he mumbled.

Although he spoke quietly, everyone in the room heard him clearly.

Oh well. I guess it’s time to face persecution, Kael thought.

(A FEW MINUTES EARLIER)

Kael finally caught up with Craig, who had been desperately running away.

The moment Craig saw him, he stopped and turned around, panting heavily.

"What more do you want from me?! I’ve already given up! Please, just let me go!" he begged.

"Did you let your previous victims go when they begged you?" Hulk asked as he approached Craig, dragging his mallet along the ground. The weapon seemed to have grown heavier with every step.

"What victims? Every fight I’ve had with someone at this academy has been through a legal duel!" Craig protested.

"I’m talking about the first-years you’ve been bullying just because they’re shorter than you!" Hulk declared.

"What?" Craig asked, genuinely confused.

When did that happen? Is there some bad rumor about me going around?

"But I’ve never fought a first—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kael grabbed him by the head from behind and slammed him into the ground with his immense strength, embedding his head in the earth for what felt like the hundredth time.

Hulk stood frozen, stunned by the strength Kael had just displayed.

"It’s best not to listen to the lies people like him spout," Kael muttered.

Hulk, who was standing beside him, slowly nodded.

Kael glanced down at Craig, only to realize that he was no longer moving.

"Don’t tell me he’s unconscious again," Kael muttered.

Maybe I should wake him up.

Hulk had already begun raising his bloodied mallet.

If I hit him again, he might actually die, Hulk thought as he looked at Craig.

Just then, he noticed Kael suddenly envelop himself in darkness mana before the darkness receded.

Hulk raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Didn’t you notice that we passed some other members of the Disciplinary Committee? I don’t want them to track me just yet. But you’re already stronger than them, so they can’t track you," Kael explained, complimenting Hulk.

Hulk simply shook his head, choosing not to respond.

The real reason the Disciplinary Committee couldn’t track him was that he didn’t possess mana in the first place. However, he had no intention of explaining that to Kael.

Besides, Kael already knew the truth and had decided to remain quiet about it.

"Would you be interested in joining the Disciplinary Committee?" Kael asked.

"You mentioned that before. Why do you want me to join the Disciplinary Committee?" Hulk asked in return.

"The original reason is that you’re strong. There are also a lot of tall assholes in this academy, and since I’m the top-ranked first-year, I can’t move around the school as much as I’d like," Kael explained.

"Then let me take that position from you," Hulk declared.

He stood opposite Kael, his expression serious.

Kael stared at him for a moment.

"You’re serious about this?" he asked.

"Did I look like I was joking?" Hulk replied.

Kael chuckled, his red eyes glowing eerily.

"If you really want it that much, then come and take it."

His red eyes remained locked on Hulk.

Hulk remembered how their previous fight had ended and tightened his grip on the handle of his mallet.

"Maybe after I train a little more," he replied.

Kael looked down at Craig’s unconscious body before lifting him onto his shoulder.

He then turned toward Hulk.

"You’re still joining the Disciplinary Committee, right?"

Hulk thought for a moment before remembering his uncle’s words.

Remember, Hulk. Your main aim in coming to the academy is to learn how to socialize with other races.

"I agree," he replied.

A smile appeared on Kael’s face.

"Alright, come with me. Let’s take this guy to the academy’s training center for training."

Kael began walking.

Is he planning to turn that second-year into a punching bag? I know the guy has been bullying first-years, but this seems a little excessive, Hulk thought.

Nevertheless, he decided to follow Kael.

Neither of them noticed that Craig’s bleeding body was leaving a trail that led directly to their destination.

"Kael, you have a lot of explaining to do," Cairo said.

Kael raised a finger to his lips.

"Shush. Something important is happening right now," he replied, pointing toward Lilian, who was concentrating on Craig’s unconscious body.

"Don’t shush me! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You assaulted a second-year student!" Cairo complained.

"Who was about to assault a first-year student. So, for the time being, we’re on equal terms," Kael replied casually.

"Equal terms?" Cairo repeated.

He glanced at Craig’s battered body before turning back toward Kael with a deep frown.

However, before he could say anything else, a golden glow appeared above Craig.

It lasted only a moment before fading away.

Kael turned toward Craig, who remained unconscious. However, most of his injuries had been healed.

Lilian, on the other hand, looked completely drained.

Stella immediately stepped forward and supported her before she could collapse.

"You seem to have trouble of your own to deal with, so I’ll take Lilian back to her dormitory to rest," Stella said with a smile.

She then turned toward Kael.

"But Kael, don’t ever pull a stunt like this again. Who knows? You might end up popping into someone’s Domain."

Stella walked out of the room with Lilian.

Kael watched them leave, fully aware that Stella wasn’t joking.

"Don’t worry. First and last time," he promised with a strained smile.

The moment Stella disappeared from view, Kael felt an arm settle on his shoulder.

He turned his head.

Cairo was standing beside him, his expression terrifying. Tick marks covered his temples, and a vein looked ready to burst from his forehead.

"I would like a proper explanation for what happened here," Cairo said.